A France-based Nigerian, Newton Ofioritse Jemide, who was extradited to the United States over his involvement in an $8m disaster fraud, has been sentenced to three years and five mnths’ imprisonment.
Jemide, 47, was sentenced on Tuesday by Judge Deborah K. Chasanow of a US District Court.
Jemidewas extradited from France after he was found culpable of fraudulently obtaining federal grants meant for vulnerable US citizens.
The US Department of Justice had noted that Jemide, alongside some conspirators, stole the identities of US citizens to open Green Dot accounts, which were used to request federal benefits meant for victims of wildfires between 2016 and 2017.
The US DoJ stated that the convict and others from Nigeria directed co-conspirators living in the US to purchase hundreds of Green Dot debit cards.
It added, “Co-conspirators living in Nigeria then registered the cards with Green Dot using stolen personal information from identity theft victims around the United States.
“As a result of fraudulent submissions, FEMA and the other federal agencies deposited benefits onto the Green Dot debit cards.
“Jemide and select co-conspirators informed other co-conspirators when the fraudulent funds became available on the debit cards and gave them information to cash out the funds from the cards in exchange for a commission.”
It noted that Jemide and his co-conspirators took steps to conceal their identities by using others to make purchases and withdrawals, utilising multiple store and bank locations for withdrawals, and making money orders payable to other individuals and/or corporate entities.
Giving an update on the trial, the US DoJ in a statement obtained on its website on Wednesday disclosed that “FEMA dispersed $500 per claim on the Green Dot debit cards that the co-conspirators purchased for a total of at least $8 million.”
Following his guilty plea, Jemide was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release.
The court also ordered him to pay $520,431 in restitution and also forfeit $311,036 to the US government.
“US District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Newton Ofioritse Jemide, 47, a Nigerian national extradited from France, to 41 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal benefits.
“Jemide will also serve three years of supervised release, and pay $520,431.83 of restitution, and a forfeiture money judgment was entered against him in the amount of $311,036.64,” the statement concluded.
